Spacehamster’s Blog

I found this posting sitting in my draft area - probably for several months.

The last time I saw a Christmas special for a popular Science Fiction series was Star Wars way back in the Seventies/Eighties. It was - quite frankly - absolutely awful. I’ve wilfully expunged the entire experience from my adult brain. Fortunately, Russell T. Davies and co. have much more on their minds than corny overly sentimental Christmas cheer. There’s one question at the very heart of this episode:

What would the world do without the Doctor?

Its the first time in the shows history that I can ever recall this question ever being directly addressed. As is seemingly traditional in regeneration stories (Castrovalva) the Doctor spends the first half-hour in bed with a raging fever. Without the Doctor’s overshadowing presence, this episode is going to live or die based on the performance of its remaining lead stars.

Its a testimony to the excellent script, acting, directing and special effects that the first half-hour holds up incredibly well. The standout directorial moment is when we see dozens of people ready to jump off those buildings. Its a genuinely scary moment that’s brilliantly directed by James Hawes. In addition to setting up the bad guys, the reactions of the characters (especially Rose) reflect how a new audience would react to a new Doctor. Seeing Rose breakdown towards the middle of the episode was particularly well done. In spite of Penelope Wilton’s great work as the new PM, it’s Billie Piper that has to carry the episode and she does an incredible job here. I don’t know how the show will carry on without her.

Its at the 30-minute mark that the show veers away from the increasingly dire situation that’s been building up, with a fantastic introduction to the Tenth Doctor - David Tennant. I haven’t seen this good a debut since Tom Baker in Episode 1 of ‘Robot’. I can’t believe that in 15 short minutes, Russell T. Davies has done the impossible - convince us (the audience) that David Tennant was the right choice to play the Doctor. He has convinced me beyond any reasonable doubt that he will be good (if not better) than Christopher Eccleston was, and that’s no mean feat. David Tennant has always said he was a fan, and it shows in his performance. Even more so than with Eccleston, there’s a conviction and a sense of fun that is enjoyable to watch. The sword fight was definitely Un-Doctorish, but using a satsuma to kill the Sycorax leader, and six-words to bring down the British Government, definitely demonstrate what kind of a man this new Doctor is.

The most controversial moment in this episode comes towards the very end, when Harriet Jones uses Torchwood for the very first time. To me it seems like a morally ambigious moment. Is the Doctor right? Is Harriet? I hope this is a moment that has ramifications for the rest of the second series. Its far too important an issue to resolve in a single episode. Not just as a plotline, but also as a commentary on current world affairs as well.

And the trailer for the second series was absolutely astounding. There are so many images that put a shiver down my spine. The return of my (now) second-favourite companion - Sarah Jane Smith. A very intriguing baroque android. And that last shot of the Cybermen. I’m still not too sure how well the new design is going to work, but that 2-second glimpse gives me great hope.

So its onwards to a new Doctor and a new series! Doctor Who is now officially my number-one favourite series in any genre on TV or film. Russell T. Davies and co should be commended for writing and creating the best introduction for any character on TV ever.